A lesson or two for mums-to-be

Sujatha uses her experience in handling house magazines, proof reading scientific papers and editing a children's magazine to hardcore reporting. She currently covers health at The Hindu. Follow her o...
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Increasingly, experts have been pointing a finger at the lack of support for newborns at home

As we became nuclear families, we lost some facets of growing up that our grandparents enjoyed. They had the support of the entire family but today’s young couples live by themselves and cope with problems on their own. It has come to such a pass that we need schools to learn facets of living and ensure the children we bring into the world enjoy a stress-free life.

‘Baby Bliss’, which will teach expectant mothers to cope with pregnancy and learn to de-stress themselves, is one such venture. Until a few decades ago, such an initiative would have few takers. But increasingly, experts have been pointing a finger at the lack of a support structure for newborns at home. The elderly women facilitators at ‘Baby Bliss’ say they will address the ‘non-clinical, non-medical’ needs of expectant mothers.

At the institute, pregnant women will undergo 16 sessions either in groups or individually. The trainers will teach them to cope with stress, eat intelligently and reduce chances of diseases for the child at birth. Shabari Sairam, a middle-aged facilitator puts it succinctly: young couples who live away from their parents struggle to handle pregnancy. Besides physiological changes, the woman has to cope with the demand for a changed lifestyle during pregnancy and after childbirth. “In our centre, we allow the women to relax, enjoy time with others like them, discuss issues during pregnancy, learn some games and undergo music therapy,” Ms. Sairam says. The facilitators have a set of short stories that will be told to counter postpartum depression.

The centre also offers a weekly session for family members thus providing a pregnant woman the much-needed comfort of family support. The ultimate aim is to ensure the newborn enters the world in a stress-free environment and grows up with a healthy mind and body. The new mother also relaxes as she learns her new role around home.